Ass(ets)

Tea and tears

Noah strolls over to Ella's house leisurely, as he is unaware of what is to come.

Ella tries to distract herself before he arrives, as she knows what is to come.

James has been exiled to the coffee shop on the corner to give them some privacy. He thinks he is relieved he's not the one who has to tell Noah what they did. He is glad that for a little while he is away from it all, as he knows what is to come.

Noah and Ella greet each other at her door. It would have been their usual greeting but Ella sinks into Noah's arms for just a moment too long. As Ella turns to walk through to the kitchen she ducks her head slightly so Noah will not see her watering eyes.

"What was it you said you wanted to talk about? Your text was a little ambiguous." Noah frowns slightly as he says this.

"You know me, always mysterious." Ella replies in a fake cherry manner.

Noah laughs lightly and wraps his arm around her waist. He leans in to pepper light kisses along her neck. Ella is so reminded of the way in which James held her last night that she almost bursts into tears right there and then.

She feels guilty.

Guilty.

Guilty.

Guilty.

Ella pulls away slightly "Don't. After I tell you this I don't think you'll like me very much anymore. I don't want you to hate me."

"I could never hate you," Noah cups her face gently "and don't work yourself up about it. I'm sure it's not that bad."

"I've done such a horrible thing. I tried so hard not to, and I just couldn't stop it."

"You're worrying me a bit now. You haven't killed someone or something equally as bad have you?" Noah asks half joking half serious.

"God no." Ella says quickly.

"Well relative to murder I'm sure what you've done isn't all that bad. Come and sit down. I'll make us some tea and we can talk about it." Noah ushers her to the bar stools dotted around the kitchen island as he says those soothing words.

They're silent for a short while. The only sounds are of the rustling of the tea bags and clinking of mugs.

Then it is as if Ella can contain it no longer.

She blurts out all at once "I slept with James last night."

Noah stills.

The kettle begins whistling signalling the water had boiled. He says nothing, and he turns his back to her while finishing off the tea. His movements are forced and finally he puts down the mugs on the kitchen island between them with more force than necessary.

The loud sound makes the silence between them seem even more pronounced.

"Say something." Ella urges.

Noah takes a long gulp of his tea and makes a fuss of setting it down on a coaster before meeting Ella's eyes.

"I'm not sure what you want me to say, Ella." Noah sighs.

"Say anything. Get angry. Get annoyed. Get self-righteous. Just tell me that you feel something. Tell me how you feel." Ella pushes.

"Know that once I've said this that you asked to hear this. You really shouldn't ask for things you don't want to hear the answer to." Noah says coldly.

Ella motions for him to continue.

"Frankly I think it's disgusting. My best-friend... We are dating and you fuck my best-friend. You didn't even have the decency or respect to break things off with us before you went to him. I know we're not really together officially, but in what state of mind were you in that you thought that was okay? How is that ever okay? We all go back to our ex's once in a while, but last night is completely inexcusable. You're so besotted by him that you can't even see that he's just using you. What do you expect to happen now? That you two will get back together, and we'll all play happy. It doesn't work like that."

As he spoke his voice grew louder and louder. Realising he was loosing control Noah took a deep breath to calm himself.

Noah looks at Ella directly and says in a gentler but weary voice "You're not a bad person Ella. You just made a bad decision."

Noah reaches for his cup of tea and sips it while waiting to hear Ella's response.